Rotary-tool mechanism



March 20, 1928. d 1,662,992

M. wEsTRA'rE- ROTARY TOOL MECHANISM Filed Nov. 26. 1926 A TTORNE YPATENT OFFICE.-

MATTHEW WESTRATE, 0F GRAND RAPIDS', MICHIGAN.

ROTARY-TOOL MECHANISM.

Application led November 26, 14926. Serial No. 150,860.

The present invention relates to rotatable tools; and its object is toprovide an 1mproved mechanism whereby such a tool may be rotated and fedaxially.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing areattained by, and the'invention finds preferable embodiment in, themechanism hereinafter particularly described in the body of thisspeellication and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side View, shown partially in axial section of therotatable tool mechanism operating between spaced horizontal,

furniture members.

Figure 2 iS a top plan view of parts of said mechanism, sectioned Ionline 2-2 of Figure l; and f y Figure 3 is a top plan View of parts ofthe mechanism, sectioned on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Where rotatable tools, such as screw-drivers, drills and the like, areto be operated in locations between members of furniture, etc. spaced atshort ldistances apart, it is difficult in many cases to gain suchaccess to the tools as is necessary to rotate the same and to feed themtoward the work. The object of the present invention is to obviate thisdithculty.

In the accompanying drawings, the rotatable tool mechanism is shownoperated in a narrow space, such as exists in many furnitureconstruct-ions between the members thereof, such space being indicatedbetween the furniture members 1 and 2 in Figure 1.

The illustrated mechanism comprises a base member designated generally 3adapted to abut at its upper end on the furniture member 1 to cause therotatable tool-in this case a screw-driver Ll---to be fed downwardly sothat the screw 5 may be driven into the lower furniture member 2. Thetool 4 bears rotatably and axially-movably in a bearing 6 in this base,and has an operating -handle which comprises two members adapted to begrasped by one hand lof the operator. One of these members, 7, ismounted on the tool rotatably at 8 but is held in axially-nonmovablerelation therewith by suitable means, as by the ratchet wheel 9 pinnedto the tool at 10 and having the teeth 11, this member 7 beingbifurcated to provide spaced arms 12, 13 extending on the opposite sidesof the ratchet wheel, and in which the rotative bearings 8 of saidmember 7 are formed. This member has a pawl 14 spring-pressed outwardlyat 15 into engagement with the ratchet wheels teeth 11, to rotate thetool by the rotation of the handle.

To cause the tool to feed downwardly and to maintain its lower end 16 inengagement with the lrerf 17 of the screw 5, the second member 19 of theoperative handle is provided. This member 19 is a lever fulcrumed at 20on the handles member 7 and is bifurcated to provide arms 21 extendingon the opposite sides of the body portion 22 of the base 1, and into itsannular groove 23, so as to engage the upper wall 24 of this groove andmove the tool downwardly, Whenever the outer or hand-engaged p0rtions25, 26 of the handles members 7, 19 are grasped by vthe operatorsfingers.

`The base 3 comprises the body portion 22 and an extension portion 27movable in the tools axial .direction so that lits upper end 28 may abutagainst the under Surface of the upper furniture member 1. Preferablythe body portion 22 is threaded at 29 and the extension portion 27 is inform a headed nut threaded to turn. on the threads of the body portion.lThe operator may grasp the portions 25, 26 of the two handle members 7,19 with one hand and may turn the extenslonnut 27 with the other hand asoccasion requires, as when the screw 5 is driven so far down that theportions 25, 26 of the handle members 7, 19 come together, and it istherefore necessary to extend the length yof the base 3 by turning itsextension nut 27 upwardly into abutting relation with the un- I(iler1surface of the upper furniture memer v It is manifest that other tools,such as drills, may be substituted for the screwdriving tool 4illustrated.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not tobe limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodimentthereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim: f

1. In a mechanism of the character described: a base; a rotatable tool;an operating handle comprising a member rotatable about the axis of thetool and in axially-nonmovable relation to the tool, and a lever memberfulcrumed on the iirst-mentioned member and engaging the base for movingthe same and the first-mentioned member relatively toeach other in thetools axial direction; means for rotating the tool by the rotation ofthe handle.

2. In a mechanism of the character described: a base; a rotatable toolaxially-movably bearing therein; an operatin handle comprising a memberrotatable a out the axis of the tool and in axially-nonmovable relationto the tool, and a lever member fulcrumed 0n the first-mentioned memberand engaging the base for moving the same and the first-mentioned memberrelatively to each other in the tools axial direction; means forrotating the tool by the rotation of the handle.

3. In a mechanism of the character described: a base; a rotatable toolrotatably andvaxially-movably bearing therein; an operatin handlecomprising a member rotatable a out the axis of the tool and inaxiallynonmovable relation to the tool, and a lever member fulcrumed onthe rst-mentioned member and engaging the base for moving the same andthe first-mentioned member relatively to each other in the tools axialdirection; means for rotating the tool by the rotation of the handle.

4. In a mechanism vof the character described: a base comprising a bodyand an extension movable in the axial direction of thehereinafter-mentioned tool to adjusted positions on the body; arotatable tool; an operatin handle comprising a member rotatable a outthe axis of the tool and in axially-nonmovable relation to the tool, anda lever member ulcrumed on the first-mentioned member and engaging thebase for moving the same and the i r sst-mentioned 4 member relativelyto each other in the tools axial direction; means for rotating the.toolby the rotation of the handle.

v5. In a mechanism of the character described: a base comprising a bodythreaded about an axis extending 1n the axial direction of thehereinafter-mentioned tool, and an extension nut on the body; arotatable tool; an operating handle comprising a member rotatable aboutthe axis of the tool and in axially-nonmovable relation to the tool, anda lever member fulcrumed on the firstmentioned member and enga ing thebase for movin the same and the st-mentioned member re atively to eachother in the tools axial direction; means for rotating the tool by therotation of the handle.

6. In a mechanism of the character described: a base comprising a bodythreaded about an axis extending 1n the axial directionof thehereinafter-mentioned tool, and an extension nut on the body; arotatable tool rotatably and axially-movably bearing in the body andhaving ratchet teeth; an operating handle comprisin a member carried bythe tool rotatable a out the axis of the tool and in axially-nonmovablerelation thereto and having a pawl engaging said teeth, and a levermember fulcrumed on the first-mentioned member and enga 'ng the base formovin the same and t e firstmentioned mem er relatively to each other inthe tools axial direction.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my handat rand Rapids, Michigan,this 20th day of November, 1926.

MATTHEW W'ESTRATE.

